Kun-Woo Paik
Encyclopedia
Kun-woo Paik is a South Korea
n pianist
.
. he gave his first concert, aged 10, with the Korean National Orchestra (Grieg piano concerto). In the following years he performed many important works in Korea, including several premieres such as Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Later he studied in New York (Juilliard School
), London, and in Italy with Rosina Lhevinne
, Ilona Kabos, Guido Agosti
and Wilhelm Kempff
. Kun Woo Paik is also a laureate of the Naumburg and Busoni International Piano Competitions
.
, Wigmore Hall
and Berlin Philharmonie. He has also performed with such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra
, the BBC Symphony Orchestra
(Last Night of the Proms 1987), Pittsburgh Symphony, Russian National Orchestra
, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris
, Orchestre National de France
, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Rai Torino, Warsaw Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra
and Polish National Radio Orchestra, with such conductors as Mariss Jansons
, Sir Neville Marriner
, Lawrence Foster
, Mikhail Pletnev
, Dmitri Kitajenko
, James Conlon
, John Nelson
and Eliahu Inbal
. Kun Woo Paik is also a regular guest artist at major music festivals such as the Berlin Festwochen, Aix-en-Provence
, La Roque d'Antheron, Colmar, Spoleto, Aldeburgh, "Mostly Mozart" and Ravinia Festivals, and has toured extensively in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Italy.
His repertoire is very varied and comprises such rare works as Busoni's piano concerto, Fauré's Fantasy for piano and orchestra and Liszt's Fantasy on themes from Berlioz's Lelio. Kun Woo Paik also performs a wide selection of transcriptions by Liszt and Berlioz and is the dedicatee of Suk-Hi Kang's piano concerto.
Mr Paik has recorded the complete Prokofiev piano concertos with Antoni Wit/Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra for RCA (Diapason d'or in 1993), the complete Rachmaninoff piano concertos with Vladimir Fedoseyev / Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (BMG), as well as several solo CDs of Scriabin, Liszt, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn piano music. In 2000 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Decca Classics. His first release featured the piano transcriptions of the organ works of J.S. Bach made by Ferrucio Busoni. Between 2005 and 2007, Decca recorded Paik in the complete piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven
.
Kun Woo Paik lives in Paris, is the Artistic Director of the Emerald Coast Music Festival in Dinard (France) and was made "Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres" by the French Government in 2000. In September 2000 he was the first Korean artist to be officially invited to perform in China.
since 1974. Yoon is a star of the late 1960s commonly referred to as one of "The First Troika" by the South Korean news media, along with other two actresses in rivalry, Moon Hee
, and Nam Jeong-im
. The couple has a daughter who is a violinist.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Early life
Kun Woo Paik was born in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. he gave his first concert, aged 10, with the Korean National Orchestra (Grieg piano concerto). In the following years he performed many important works in Korea, including several premieres such as Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Later he studied in New York (Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
), London, and in Italy with Rosina Lhevinne
Rosina Lhévinne
Rosina Bessie Lhévinne was a Russian American pianist and famed pedagogue....
, Ilona Kabos, Guido Agosti
Guido Agosti
Guido Agosti was an Italian pianist and piano teacher.Agosti was born in Forlì in 1901. He studied piano with Ferruccio Busoni, Bruno Mugellini and Filippo Ivaldi, earning his diploma at age 13. He studied counterpoint under Benvenuti and literature at Bologna University. He commenced his...
and Wilhelm Kempff
Wilhelm Kempff
Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff was a German pianist and composer. Although his repertory included Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well-known for his interpretations of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, both of whose complete sonatas he also...
. Kun Woo Paik is also a laureate of the Naumburg and Busoni International Piano Competitions
Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition
The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bolzano, Italy.-History: The first Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition was organized by Cesare Nordio in 1949 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the death of pianist and...
.
Career
Over the years Kun Woo Paik has performed recitals in major musical centres such as the Lincoln Center, Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
and Berlin Philharmonie. He has also performed with such orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
(Last Night of the Proms 1987), Pittsburgh Symphony, Russian National Orchestra
Russian National Orchestra
The Russian National Orchestra premiered in Moscow in 1990.It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican and in Israel....
, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris
Orchestre de Paris
The Orchestre de Paris is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra performs most of its concerts at the Salle Pleyel.-History:In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conductor Charles Munch was called on by the Minister of Culture,...
, Orchestre National de France
Orchestre National de France
The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre...
, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Rai Torino, Warsaw Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
and Polish National Radio Orchestra, with such conductors as Mariss Jansons
Mariss Jansons
Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons is a Latvian conductor, the son of conductor Arvīds Jansons. His mother, the singer Iraida Jansons, who was Jewish, gave birth to him in hiding in Riga, Latvia, after her father and brother were killed in the Riga Ghetto...
, Sir Neville Marriner
Neville Marriner
Sir Neville Marriner is an English conductor and violinist.-Biography:Marriner was born in Lincoln and studied at the Royal College of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. He played the violin in the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Martin String Quartet and London Symphony Orchestra, playing with the...
, Lawrence Foster
Lawrence Foster
Lawrence Foster is an American conductor.He became the conductor of the San Francisco Ballet at the age of 18, and served as Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta...
, Mikhail Pletnev
Mikhail Pletnev
Mikhail Vasilievich Pletnev is a Russian pianist, conductor, and composer.-Life and career:Pletnev was born into a very musical family in Arkhangelsk, then part of the Soviet Union; his father played and taught the bayan, and his mother the piano...
, Dmitri Kitajenko
Dmitri Kitajenko
Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko is a Russian conductor.He was born in Leningrad and studied at the Glinka Conservatory and those of Leningrad and Moscow. He was a prizewinner in the first Herbert von Karajan competition in 1969....
, James Conlon
James Conlon
James Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
, John Nelson
John Nelson (conductor)
John Wilton Nelson is an American conductor. Nelson studied at Wheaton College, and later at the Juilliard School of Music with Jean Morel ....
and Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal is an Israeli conductor.Inbal studied violin at the Israeli Academy of Music and took composition lessons with Paul Ben-Haim...
. Kun Woo Paik is also a regular guest artist at major music festivals such as the Berlin Festwochen, Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, La Roque d'Antheron, Colmar, Spoleto, Aldeburgh, "Mostly Mozart" and Ravinia Festivals, and has toured extensively in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Italy.
His repertoire is very varied and comprises such rare works as Busoni's piano concerto, Fauré's Fantasy for piano and orchestra and Liszt's Fantasy on themes from Berlioz's Lelio. Kun Woo Paik also performs a wide selection of transcriptions by Liszt and Berlioz and is the dedicatee of Suk-Hi Kang's piano concerto.
Mr Paik has recorded the complete Prokofiev piano concertos with Antoni Wit/Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra for RCA (Diapason d'or in 1993), the complete Rachmaninoff piano concertos with Vladimir Fedoseyev / Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (BMG), as well as several solo CDs of Scriabin, Liszt, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn piano music. In 2000 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Decca Classics. His first release featured the piano transcriptions of the organ works of J.S. Bach made by Ferrucio Busoni. Between 2005 and 2007, Decca recorded Paik in the complete piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
.
Kun Woo Paik lives in Paris, is the Artistic Director of the Emerald Coast Music Festival in Dinard (France) and was made "Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres" by the French Government in 2000. In September 2000 he was the first Korean artist to be officially invited to perform in China.
Personal life
Paik has resided in Paris, France with his wife, actress Yoon Jeong-heeYoon Jeong-hee
Yoon Jeong-hee is a South Korean actress active since 1967. Yoon debuted as an actress in 1967 as starring in Cheongchun geukjang directed by Gang Dae-jin after elected in a recruit held by Hapdong Film. Yoon was commonly referred to as one of the "Troika" along with her rival actresses, Moon Hee...
since 1974. Yoon is a star of the late 1960s commonly referred to as one of "The First Troika" by the South Korean news media, along with other two actresses in rivalry, Moon Hee
Moon Hee
Moon Hee is a South Korean actress active since 1965. She was born in Busan, South Korea in 1947. While attending Seorabeol Art College with a film and theater major, Moon applied for recruiting new actors by KBS TV. When she was attending for a camera test, Moon was picked up by an assistant...
, and Nam Jeong-im
Nam Jeong-im
Nam Jeong-im was South Korean actress. Nam was commonly referred to as one of the "Troika" along with her rival actresses, Yoon Jeong-hee and Moon Hee of the 1960s and early 1970s.-Filmography:...
. The couple has a daughter who is a violinist.
Discography
- 2008 The complete piano sonatas of Beethoven issued in KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. - 2007 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 27 to 32 - Decca
- 2006 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 1 to 15 - Decca
- 2005 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 16 to 26 - Decca
- 2003 Chopin: Complete works for piano and orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Antoni WitAntoni WitAntoni Wit is a Polish conductor. He is the present musical director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.Wit graduated from Kraków's State Higher School of Music, studying conducting under Henryk Czyz and composition under Krzysztof Penderecki, going on to study under Nadia Boulanger in...
- Decca - 2002 FauréFaureFaure or Fauré is a French family name and may refer to:People:* Edgar Faure, French politician* Élie Faure, French art historian and essayist* Émile Alphonse Faure, lead battery pioneer* Cédric Fauré, French football striker...
Piano works - Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Decca - 2001 HahnReynaldo HahnReynaldo Hahn was a Venezuelan, naturalised French, composer, conductor, music critic and diarist. Best known as a composer of songs, he wrote in the French classical tradition of the mélodie....
Works for two pianos, with Hüseyin SermetHüseyin SermetHüseyin Sermet is a Turkish pianist and composer. He is a Doctor Honoris Causa by the Boğaziçi and Marmara universities, and was named a State Artist in 1991. He is Co-President of ADAP , based in Paris.-External links:* * www.adapinternational.org...
- NaïveNaïve RecordsNaïve Records is a French independent record label based in Paris, specializing in electronic music, pop music, jazz and classical music. It was founded in 1997 by Patrick Zelnik, Gilles Paires and Eric Tong Cuong.-Artists:* Aṣa* Asian Dub Foundation...
V4902 - 2000 BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
: Piano works in transcriptions by Busoni - Toccata BW564, 10 chorale preludes, Chaconne BW1004 - Decca - 2000 Piano works by LisztLisztLiszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
, Debussy, Poulenc and Satie - EMI Music - 1998 Rachmaninoff: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra
- 1998 MendelssohnMendelssohnMendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...
: Songs Without Words - 1996 Scriabin: Piano works
- 1994 Prokofiev: Complete Piano Concertos
- 1993 SchmittSchmittSchmitt may refer to:* Schmitt, Germany, a municipality in the Eifel area of the Rhineland-Palatinate state in western Germany* Schmitt trigger, a type of comparator circuit in electronics* Schmitt Gillenwater Kelly syndrome, an autosomal dominant syndrome...
Three rhapsodies for two pianos opus 53, with Huseyin Sermet - Auvidis - 1992 MendelssohnMendelssohnMendelson is a Polish/German Jewish family name, meaning "son of Mendel", Mendel being a Yiddish diminutive of the Hebrew given name Menahem, meaning "consoling" or "one who consoles".Mendelssohn is the surname of a number of people:...
: Songs without WordsSongs without WordsSongs Without Words is a series of short, lyrical piano pieces by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn.-Composition and reception:...
- Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante - 1992 Rachmaninoff: The 4 piano concertos, Rhapsodie on a theme of Paganini - RCA
- 1992 Rachmaninoff: Piano sonatas 1 and 2 - Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante - 1992 Prokofiev Piano Sonatas 6, 7 and 8 - Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante - 1992 Ravel: Complete Piano Works
- 1992 Scriabin: Piano works Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante - 1992 Scriabin: Sonata Nos 6 and 9 and other piano works - Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante - 1991 Prokofiev: The 5 Piano concertos; Polish National Radio Orchestra - Disque d'or - Prix Nouvelle ~Académie du Disque - 2CD Naxos
- 1991 LisztLisztLiszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
: Piano works and music by French composers (Poulenc, Debussy, Satie) 2 CD - Virgin - 1991 Ravel The works for solo piano - Diapason d'OrDiapason d'OrThe Diapason d'Or is a recommendation of outstanding classical music recordings given by reviewers of Diapason magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the British Gramophone magazine....
award - Dante
Awards
- 1967 Winner of Naumberg International Piano Competition
- 1969 Winner of Busoni International Piano Competition
- 1992 Golden Diapason Prize (Alexander Scriabin Album)
- 1993 Golden Diapason Prize (Sergei Prokofiev Album)
- 2000 Ho-Am Prize in the ArtsHo-Am Prize in the ArtsThe Ho-Am Prize is a Korean annual award awarded to "those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of science and culture and enhancement of the welfare of mankind," often referred to as the Korean equivalent of the Nobel Prize....
- 2010 Order of Cultural MeritOrder of Cultural Merit (Korea)The Order of Cultural Merit is one of the Republic of Korea's Orders of Merit. It is awarded to those who have rendered outstanding meritorious services in the interest of improving the national welfare.-Classes of Cultural Merit:...
External links
- Official Website
- DECCA Paik Kun Woo Biography
- Kun-Woo Paik (Piano) at Bach-Cantata.com